I need help with the paper i have to write about “Changing Roles of Armenian Women”…I was confused on the choice of the suject, but luckily i was saved with a suggestion to write about Armenian women in Politics. I found few articles online, but i am having trouble finding printed sources. I also would like to start the paper with one of the strong women we had in our history, i was trying to find info about Sose Mayrik, but either I do not know where and how to search (very likely ) or there aren’t any books listed online.

She participated in the many fedayee fightings. In 1898, after the battle of Babshen, Sose and Serob fled to Sassoun. In 1899, along with her son, Serob and his brothers, she participated in the battle against a Turkish battalion: Serob, their son and Serob's brothers were killed while Sose Mayrig was wounded. After the Sasun resistance in 1904, she moved to Van and then to the Caucasus. Another son of Sose Mayrig and Serob killed during the massacre in the Erzerum. Since 1920, Sose Mayrig lived in Constantinople, then in Alexandria (Egypt), where she died in 1952. Her remains were then moved to the Yerablur military cemetery in Yerevan.

Even though the role of an Armenian woman has always been a homemaker, taking care of their husband and children, they were not afraid to grab the rifle and go fight next to their husbands, children and countrymen for the Fatherland.

They sent their young children to fight and die for their country next to their fathers without a second thought, knowing that they may never see them again.Even today, an Armenian woman will not hesitate to sacrifice her own motherly love for her children, as you can see below, and send her son to fight for FatherlandAn example of the courage and self sacrifice of Armenian woman was Sose Mairig, born in 1869 in the village of Teghout on the slopes of Mount Nemrut. The daughter of Markar Dro-Avandur belonged to a large family and had many siblings. Sose was illiterate and married young, without any formal schooling.

Sose was familiar with her husband, Serop Aghpiur, because he was a friend of the family. At age 13, she fell in love with Serop and was married to him shortly after that. Together, they had two sons, Hagop and Samson, probably born between 1884 and 1887 respectively. Sose's involvement started the day she married Serop. The couple's involvement with Dashnaksutiun started around 1891, soon after the Federation of Armenian Revolutionaries was founded.

Sose Vartanian, wife of Serop, became a living legend among both Armenians and Turks for her courage as a fedayee. After marrying Serop, her life consisted of a series of adventures, spent mostly in the mountains with Serop and sons, Hagop and Samsom and a group of fedayees. This clan of fedayees were all under Serop's command, with the exception of when Serop was away on special missions. Sose took charge of the men under these circumstances and fought bravely in many battles, thus earning her legend as a heroine.

Sose's role was no different from that of a male fedayee, with the added tasks of a mother and housewife. She was a rare phenomenon, a female fedayee, resolute, fearless, cool and cunning in battle, she was often resented by the men. Her career as a fedayee came to an end in 1899, Gialiguzan village, when Serop, betrayed and treacherously poisoned, was killed in fierce battle with the government troops. Sose was seriously wounded; her life was spared by the commanding officer of the Turkish troops, who admired her courage and heroic and attractive bearing. At government expense, he had her treated at a hospital. After recuperating, she was jailed in Baghesh.

She was loved so much that people called her Sose Mayrig (mother).

The history of those days is best preserved in the lyrics of the songs people sang about brave people and major events.

I need help with the paper i have to write about “Changing Roles of Armenian Women”…I was confused on the choice of the suject, but luckily i was saved with a suggestion to write about Armenian women in Politics. I found few articles online, but i am having trouble finding printed sources. I also would like to start the paper with one of the strong women we had in our history, i was trying to find info about Sose Mayrik, but either I do not know where and how to search (very likely ) or there aren’t any books listed online.

Please Help!!!

Thank You!!!

P.S. The tentative bibliography is due on Wednesday…

Also, dont pick the topic before you read the existing sources... get as many primary and secondary sources possible, read, make categories and outlines, then decide what your specific argument will be based on how much evidence your have to prove your claims.. so if I were you I would make the bibliogaphy... start annotating what you find then form a argument. otherwise you spend you time trying to find sources to fit an argument rather then doing a real research that is true to your topic.

Also, dont pick the topic before you read the existing sources... get as many primary and secondary sources possible, read, make categories and outlines, then decide what your specific argument will be based on how much evidence your have to prove your claims.. so if I were you I would make the bibliogaphy... start annotating what you find then form a argument. otherwise you spend you time trying to find sources to fit an argument rather then doing a real research that is true to your topic.

I did have other things in mind, and did research (internet only) to find sources, sent some emails, but no luck. I liked the idea of Women in politics very much, especially that it came with the new article from Armenianow.com...And I think it is a positive change, I don’t want to write or talk about trafficking, domestic violence, prostitution…some of my classmates are very excited about the above named topics…Thanks again, for the info and the tips…

Dear Ashot. The reason I have not responded is that I cannot find a complete and reliable source about our women. I faintly remember an article that dealt with our “women in history”, the least studied subject, I wish I could remember where. Johannes’ Zabel was first to come to mind, just as Shoushanik Gurghinian and her kindred feminist sisters. Shushan Avagian comes to mind. Armo did find a trove of treasure at the AIWA site.
Yet, I wish I could find reliable and scholarly stidies about the likes of Shushanik Mamikonian who is fabled to have ran ahead of her, holding the flag high. (The only reference I could find is apparently a Georgian site wic claims that Shushanik was of Georgian ancestry). I cannot find any serious study about Gayaneh, Sandukht, Ashken, Parantsem or even Aytsemnikhttp://hyeforum.com/...mp;hl=aytsemnik
What a shame that we don’t speak about our mother and sisters as much as we talk about “bastard brothers” like the furks and fryas.
Also see this;
[url="http://hyeforum.com/...mp;#entry255607[/url
It may be time we initiate a thread about our heroic mothers and sister, to not forget the like of Soseh Mayrik and Mariam chavoush of Zeitun. (I'll get back to that).